Computer Safety Guides for Normal People

Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons is by first time author and software engineer, Carey Parker. I’ve just finished reading it cover-to-cover and must say I’m impressed. I’ve been searching for resources for a long time that communicate cyber safety in a manner everyone can understand, and do it well. This book is the best I’ve found so far. Read more…

How Does Antivirus Work?-It’s a mysterious thing, antivirus. I mean, how do you know if it’s even working? What’s it doing, anyway? How Antivirus Programs Detect Malware Antivirus programs detect more than just viruses. A virus is only one type of malware. Malware is a broader term for any devious program that you ...

All About VPNs-You’ve probably used one or at least heard about them, but what exactly is a VPN? What makes them secure? Which type should I use? I answer these questions and more in this article. What is a VPN? A VPN is a private network connection between two points over the ...

What to Do Before Taking Your Computer to the Repair Shop-The shop where I work has a strict policy of data preservation and privacy for our customers. Any good computer repair shop will. Nevertheless, there are some safety precautions you should take. Backup your data Usually there is no threat to your data when taking it into the shop. In ...

Why Antivirus Isn’t as Effective as You Think-From the way antivirus companies talk in their sales copy, you would think their products are to internet safety what Superman is to petty crime. But their claims tend to be exaggerated and that leads to some problems, namely a false sense of security for their customers. Most people use ...

Password Security: Habits and Best Practices-This is not a guide for password creation, but for how to manage your passwords securely. Because if you don’t manage them well, it doesn’t matter how strong they are. Superman himself can create your passwords but that means nothing if they fall into the wrong hands. Don’t give out ...

Is It Okay to Write Down My Passwords? How To Do It Right-This week I was helping one of our clients with a website that wasn’t loading correctly. “Can you log in for me?” I asked, knowing exactly what would happen next. Sure enough, she opened her desk drawer and pulled out a notebook chock full of usernames and passwords. This is ...

The Truth About Clicking Links in Email and What To Do Instead-You’ve heard it a bazillion times: “Don’t click links in email!” That’s usually for a very good reason. This is by far one of the biggest ways I see clients get bitten. But what makes email links bad? What’s the worst that could happen if I do click one? This ...

Habits and Best Practices for Physical Security-Most of us don’t typically consider physical security a part of computer security. But it’s just as important to securing your data as anything else. Here are a few tips to consider. Shred important documents Don’t throw sensitive information in the garbage. Out of sight does not mean out of ...

What is Cryptographic Hashing? MD5, SHA, and More-Hashing is for more than just potatoes. So what does it mean to hash something in the digital world? What is a Cryptographic Hash? When you hear the term hashing in the digital world, it’s usually referring to a cryptographic hash. This is essentially the “fingerprint” of some data. A ...

How To Secure Your Windows Computer – A Comprehensive Guide-As always, I advocate brains over brawn when it comes to computer safety. Your behavior is your first line of defense. You are your computer’s biggest security feature. But it’s still vitally important to harden your computer against attacks. Hardening is geekspeak for locking down your system to make it ...

All About Heartbleed-Heartbleed is the talk of the internet right now. Bruce Schneier calls it “catastrophic.” An 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. Coming from Bruce, that means something. So what is it exactly? What is Heartbleed? Heartbleed is not a virus. Your computer cannot get infected by it and ...

Windows XP is Abandoned – The End of an Age-Windows 3.1 was my first crush. Windows 95 was a fling. Windows 98 and I, we fooled around a little. Windows ME was a tease. But Windows XP? She was my first love. And now she’s leaving. You may have heard already, but this is officially the last day of ...

How To Use File Shredder to Securely Delete Your Files for Good-STOP! Don’t touch that delete button! If you want to get rid of that file for good, then you’ll have to do something much more severe than simply deleting it. That’s right, we’re going to absolutely kill that sucker by sanitizing it with a special file shredding program. You will ...

How To Create the Most Secure Wireless Passwords Ever-Without fail, every time I walk into a new client’s home or business, I find they’re using a weak wireless password. So the chances are that you are too. I’ll help you find out. How To Create a Strong Wireless Key Length and complexity are the hallmarks of good passwords. ...